[PRP] What New Flower is This? [Vaha & Otrava]

[Geyser Eelborn]

Vaha had grown up in his father's forest. He knew every creek, every boulder, every shrub and flower patch in the whole expanse. He knew the names of all the trees, and the names of the clouds that floated above. He could identify the birds by the chirping songs they sang, could count the seasons by the weather, the stars, and the insects that buzzed through the air. When things changed, he was--well, okay, that wasn't right. He wasn't the first to know, because, well, Father was the first to know, he was the first to know everything--but he, well, he was definitely the second one to know. Definitely the second, because he would follow his father on patrols, and there they would see whatever the knew thing was. And Father knew that it was unfamiliar. And if Vaha didn't happen to be along with his father on that journey, he'd find out soon enough, when his father made his way back to their home in the center of the woods and told him about the new development.

That was the way it had been since he was a cub, and in the months since he'd grown into an adult, that way had been ever-so-slowly changing. Now that he was an adult, his father expected him to run his own patrols around the forest, in search of people who needed help or who sought to harm the forest. That meant taking going alone, and that meant seeing new things that his father didn't know about. And that still struck the younger Earth triber as odd. It felt...un-right, if that made any sense--if that was even a word--to know things before his father did. It was unsettling, but as he was always reminded when he voiced his unease, he was an adult now. It was time for him to take responsibility, just as his parents had after they had been created.

The world of the woods was full of greens and browns, speckled here and there with oranges and greys. Red stood out, if it wasn't bleached to black entirely, and most other colors were lost in this verdant world. Mostly, the only thing that broke up the greenery were patches of sunlight. Not only did they bring golds and whites into the forest, but they shown on brilliant flowers--foxgloves, belladonnas, and oleander, all across the forest. With winter receding and summer approaching, flowers were not far off. Not far off, but not here yet. So what was bright purple doing out in these woods?

DarkenWoodWolf

 

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Otrava woke in the forest alone, blinking green eyes at the haze of dappled sunlight and winding shadows. It was strange, though, since this was the first time she could remember opening her eyes, yet this place felt like home. Maybe it was. Stretching, she sank her claws into the ground, relishing the feel of the earth giving way, the smell of green and earth filling her nose. It was interesting. It was delightful. Still, it was missing something, a sharpness that she was expecting. With a faint frown, she pulled herself to her feet, casting about for whatever it was at she thought was missing.

It took her a while to find it.

The sun was high above by the time she found it. The sharpness in the air that made her turn her head and follow. Otra wasn't really sure why she was doing it, but then she wasn't sure why the Grand Weaver would put her in such a place either. Perhaps there we're greater things at work. Perhaps there weren't. It wasn't really a question that concerned her at the moment. After all, she was more interested in what was causing the scent than anything else.

It took her a little while, wandering back and forth because she really wasn't familiar with the terrain, but she finally found it, a bright purple flower nestled in a nice thorny bush. She approached it cautiously, ears up and tail twitching behind her. She knew, just knew, that it was something interesting, but something to be treated with respect.

Otrava sat back and stared at it for a little while, wondering what to do about it when she became...aware, that was the word. Aware. There were other things in the forest besides her and the flower. Insects buzzed and her and wind rushed through the trees. Birds sang for a moment then went silent. She mutated up her head and looked around. Something was there, blending into the trees. Otrava looked around, ears perked forward. "Hello?"

Geyser Eelborn

 

[Geyser Eelborn]

Oh! By pushing his head quietly through a patch of bork parsnip, Vaha could see that the large patch of purple was, in fact...a B'alam. Vaha felt suddenly very silly--he had, after all, seen a spot of unnatural color and been confused, rather than come to the rather obvious conclusion. Of course any bit of color, whatever the shade, had a strong chance of being a B'alam! But admittedly, Vaha had hardly met any B'alam. As a matter of fact, he'd never met one outside of his family. He'd heard stories, so he knew they existed, and he even knew that they came in different kinds. Earth tribe--his own kind--Water tribe, and Fire tribe, and Dark Tribe, and Wind Tribe, too. There were rumors of others, too. But he'd never met a B'alam beside his own family. So...what did he do now?

He did what he had been taught to do--his duty as a Ranger. He stood up out of the underbrush, letting the sun touch on his bright belly and tail. He gave the other B'alam--a nantlil, he was sure--a friendly smile. "Hello, and well-met!" he said. "I am Vaha, a Ranger of this forest. How may I provide you with assistance today, Miss...?"

While he waited for her name, he quickly looked her over. She was very brightly colored, like a frog or a beetle or some of the more dangerous kinds of snakes, and her purple coat was touched here and there with brilliant drip-like markings, as though she were a pine in high summer. She was actually very nice looking, he thought--her eyes were a lovely shade of green, and Vaha was fond of the color green. Especially such a spring-like shade of it. Hoping that he was still looking friendly and non-threatening, he stepped out of the underbrush to be a little closer. That was when he saw the just-as-bright purple flower in front of her. He tilted his head. A purple flower, bright, with thorny foliage...he had heard of that before, hadn't he?

DarkenWoodWolf

 

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Otrava tilted her head and watched as a portion of the forest seemed to move forward, a green creature like herself stepping out of the underbrush. It was a strange sort of sensation, watching him. She felt like she should be wary of this unknown... B'alam, that was what they were. The sudden understanding of something, and not others, was interesting. She did wonder what else she would figure out before the day was through.

The stranger spoke to her, making her attenion ship and focus on him as she twitched her tail behind her, stopping when the thorns brushed her fur.

"Hello, Vaha." She said simply, watching him for any sudden movements or turns of phrase that she didn't like. "I am Otrava." Offering her name wasn't a difficultly. He had offered his, after all, and it was an exchange she could easily make. It would be good for him to know what to call her anyway. Usch things were important.

Otrava paused for a second, looking over her shoulder at the flower, enjoying the sharp scent of it, knowing somehow that it was not something she should touch or consume, that it would be harmful in ways that might limit her life here.

"I don't need assisstance." Otrava looked back at him, making a point to smile, sharp teeth a bright white. "I wanted to find the flower." She nodded at the purple blossom. "Though I am not sure exactly why. Something about the smell... it was missing when I woke up."

Geyser Eelborn